An organization representing property owners in Delta Beach is concerned about the flood outlook report released by the province earlier this week and the impact extensive use of the Portage Diversion could have on those around Lake Manitoba.

In the 2017 January conditions report released Monday, many areas of the province and specifically southwest Manitoba were listed as currently at risk for major flooding. Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation assistant deputy minister Doug McMahon said the expectation is the Portage Diversion will be utilized this spring.

“There's no question that we are very concerned over the situation,” says Delta Beach Association president Don Clarkson. “Our biggest concern would be the operation of the Portage Diversion, how long it operates and how much flow comes through.”

“The water that comes up the Diversion is the biggest issue regarding flooding around Lake Manitoba and the most concerning part of any flood fight in the area,” continues Clarkson. “... It's not our water. It creates a man-made flood.”

Delta Beach was battered by both the 2011 and 2014 floods. Many homes were destroyed or damaged. The public beach and campground also suffered significant damaged that the RM of Portage la Prairie has slowly been renewing.

“It will take years to recover and we're still dealing with a significant number of dead trees standing in the area,” Clarkson explains. “Part of the reality is Delta Beach has (been) changed forever by the flood of 2011 and the follow-up flood of 2014.”

“In both (those years) once the diversion was activated the lake rose very rapidly. This doesn't allow much time for preparations for a flood.”

The increased water levels on Lake Manitoba caused by spring thaw and use of the Portage Diversion, coupled with high winds, led to significant wave damage along the shoreline in previous years. Geotubes were installed along areas of Delta Beach in 2014 to help minimize the effect of wave damage. The RM moved ahead with strategic cuts in June 2016 to certain areas of geotubes to prevent stagnation.

“The (geotubes) worked very well in the latter part of 2014 after they were installed to help minimize wave action damage,” Clarkson explains. “We're hoping the strategic cuts that were made last year don't impact the ability for the geotubes to do what they were designed to do.”

Clarkson adds, homeowners, ultimately, can't do much on their own to protect their properties from flooding. He says the area relies on support and action from the RM and province to mitigate flood risk.

“We are hoping that we'll see a very responsive spring action by both the province and RM as opposed to being reactive after the fact,” Clarkson says. “We have seen some improvements in the way the province has been managing water structures to try and prevent this.”

“The Fairford Dam has been wide open all winter long, allowing the lake to stabilize and drop a little bit. In the winter of 2010-11, that wasn't the case in terms of management of the lake level,” continues Clarkson. “Everybody's hoping for the best and looking ahead to the future. But this sort of threat of flood definitely has people concerned and worried.”

The Delta Beach Association is an incorporated body that represents all property owners within the defined area of Delta Beach.